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Hello, my name is Kari, and I posted a loong time ago about Romeo and Juliet, I am currenty ready Dante's Inferno, and Im fascinated by the Nine Circles of Hell. If you have any thoughts on Dante, Virgil or any other characters in the book, please post on this thread :)
It's been awhile since I read Dante's "Inferno"...Maybe you should start by giving yours thoughts on something from the book?
I know that this is a classic, but I just found it difficult to read and I would enjoy a discussion on it, because I was so confused.
I'm in the middle of reading the inferno too. And so far I've really enjoyed it although I've only reached the fourth circle of hell. It's enjoyable to see who he places in which circle of hell.
Yeah, it's probably because it's so old school.:sick: Not only that, but there have been a ton of different translation of the books...I'm trying to get my hands on all three books with the same publisher and translator. I have 2 of 'em right now...I'm missing "Inferno".Quote:
Originally Posted by B-Mental
Other than the idea that through logic (Virgil) you can face evil, but through love (Beatrice) you rise out of it, the characters mean very little in the book (other than the sinners, in which case you [or at least I] need good footnotes). What is really great is all the symbology of the circles and landmarks of hell. Like the Carnal in life were swept away by their passions, in death they are swept away in a tornado. Not terribly complex, but still cool (not to be sadistic or anything).
I just finished reading it - I found it terrifying! I mean, I'm not prone to nightmares, but it was terrifying all the same. I also found it very intriguing and fascinating, all the different tortures and punishments of the damned and just the whole idea of a journey through it - it's unbelievably grotesque. The moment at the end, when Dante and Virgil burst out of Hell and see the stars is just pure epic brilliance - I was left with a feeling of incredible awe. Just wondering though, what are people's thoughts on the Inferno as epic? I just thought, while reading it, that epics usually follow the quest of a hero - while Inferno does follow a journey of sorts, would the traveler still be considered an epic hero? It just struck me that he doesn't really acheive anything, or suffer anything, as other epic heroes do, he observes the suffering of others and maybe experiences it second hand, but he's different from, say, Odysseus, or Milton's Satan.
To simply press on and not give up is an accomplishment -- as you put it yourself, the journey was "terrifying." He also learns about the journey of the soul -- another accomplishment.